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VICTORIA — B.C. New Democratic MLA John Horgan launched his bid for party leader Monday, despite saying five months ago that he wasn’t interested in the job.

Horgan, MLA for the Victoria suburb of Juan de Fuca, said he decided to run after younger candidates he was hoping would be interested instead urged him to get into the race.

The 54-year-old three-term New Democrat said he would “break the mythology about the NDP” and excite new supporters to the party.

“This notion that a change in government is catastrophic just isn’t true,” Horgan said, in a reference to the Liberal party’s frequent criticism that the NDP government of the 1990s hurt B.C.’s economy.

“I believe I can carry that message, and make the case that people should be excited about changing the government and excited about the prospect of all British Columbians benefiting from the prosperity we wall want to see.”

Horgan, the Opposition energy critic and house leader, ruled out a leadership bid last October. At the time, he said he didn’t want to stand in the way of younger candidates, that he wanted to be free to speak his mind “unfettered by the shackles of formal leadership,” and that he had little interest in a leadership race that was going to acrimonious and divisive.

Horgan said he now thinks the spring legislative session has united the party against the Liberals and prevented any animosity.

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MLA John Horgan announces another run at the B.C. NDP leadership

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